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"I don’t want to leave you two out here alone" He scuffed the ground "You girls going to be okay?"

"We’ll be fine I’o" As he headed back toward the store, cart in hand, Chase answered the phone

"Chase, can you get a car down here to the corner of Vine and Wilder? Soht red spray paint I’ to send you a couple pictures of who I think did it And of the Jeep"

"Stay there--don’t engage them I have a car on the way" Chase’s voice took on a worry that I hadn’t heard in a while

"We won’t, but we have to get ho late And I’et into a rumble because frankly, if I have to stand here oneto whale ass on these SOBs"

I punched the End Call button and held up the phone, taking a clear shot of the jokers on the corner They shuffled when they saw an to head the other way Like all bigots, they were cowards inside That, and our reputation preceded us, apparently

I then took pictures of the Jeep and sent all of them to Chase’s cell phone Afterward, I "

But before we could pull out, Sha into the spot in front of us He leaped out of the car By now, a small crowd had formed as several parties caape

Shamas took one look at the car, and his usually pale cheeks flared with color I pointed out the receding figures ere now a block away

"You take off, we’ll deal with the to the squad car where his partner, Thayus--a man with skin as dark as Trillian’s and hair just as silvery-blue--sat "Go on And drive safe" He held the door open for Caave hiot behind the wheel, cupcakes all but forgotten, and started the car "We’re not telling anybody at ho a pall over Iris’s day I’ll just park so they won’t see the door of the Jeep and while everybody’s busy setting up for the wedding, I’ll come out and wash the paint off If I can"

Camille nodded "Yeah, I think that’s best"

We pulled out of the parking spot and headed for home

On the way home, Camille unbuckled her seat belt and--just as I was about to yell at her for it--she turned to fumble around in the backseat After a moment, she plunked herself back in her seat, box of cupcakes in hand, rebuckled the seat belt, and gave me a forlorn smile

"I don’t want to share these at ho, and I want my cupcakes, damn it"

I snickered "Me, too Hand me one, would you?"

"Pull off to the side up there, into the parking lot" She pointed toward a s the way Brentreenbelts, where there were a feing sets, a jungle gy stations The park wasn’t very big, but it had trees and grass and gave the neighborhood kids a place to play

As I put the car into park and turned off the ignition, Caround, and picked up the box of cupcakes,for me to follow her

"We need a break" She led the way over to one of the nearest picnic tables and, brushing the raindrops off the bench, sat down I followed suit, breathing the crisp scent of iround wet, and I hoped that Iris’s tents would hold off the downpour As we sat down at the table and opened the cupcake box, aze flickered over to the side ofhad dried, and now it just looked ugly and garish

"Stop," she said

"Stop what?" I wanted to cry I loved my Jeep and had bonded with it in the sa sorry for yourself The cretins who did this are scuet your Jeep repainted What they did was moronic and rude, but it’s fixable" She frowned "Not like the Supe Co back the victiy behind it Seattle was so nice to us e first ca out of the ork They were always there, though First you hate the blacks and the Jews and Muslier becoet Anybody different, anybody who makes you realize you aren’t the center of the universe Even Otherworld isn’t immune Look at Father and how he reacted to Trillian Look at the goblins--they hate just about everybody"

"They’re goblins What do you expect?" I shookto show people that we aren’t the ene on an interactive group? The varoups now, and that’s a good thing But ether? To form a club that’s inclusive? That opens up to the people of the city?" She blinked and bit into one of the cupcakes, closing her eyes with delight

I followed suit, thinking about what she said As the rich, buttery chocolate ary comfort I polished off one cupcake and picked up another, pulling the paper holder away fro, it occurred to ood point "What do you think about a cohborhood-block-type affair--only have it a citywide event Come show your support for all the citizens of Seattle?"

"I think that’s a great idea We could pull people together And we should be the ones to spearhead it" She licked her fingers after finishing her third cupcake "Toet busy and pull peeps together on this The United Worlds Church would be a good ally to ask for help In fact…" She pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number

"Tim? This is Camille Can you invite representatives fro?…Yes, that’s what I said…Okay, thanks!" She hung up and swung her leg over the table, dusting crule" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>